Codes | CNM students participate in art exhibition

CNM Art Career Concerns class will present an art exhibition “Codes” from April 8 through April 22 at the Freestyle Gallery located at 1114 Central Ave SW, said Megan Salazar, artist, Fine Arts student at CNM, and press release manager for the exhibition.

The grand opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled to take place on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Freestyle Gallery, she said.

Codes is an exhibition that will feature a dynamic group of CNM students who are about to graduate from the Fine Arts AA Degree program, she said.

This exhibition will feature works such as oil and acrylic paintings, woodcut prints, drawings, wood burnings, and ceramics, she said.

“There’s not one set style as it is a group of students with different things presented, but it shows off the skills we have learned here at CNM,” she said.

The Art Career Concerns class holds an exhibition every year but only in the spring semester as that is when the class is offered, she said.

The class is responsible for titling the exhibition and no two exhibitions are ever the same, she said.

The CNM Arts Careers Concerns class is a class that focuses on what to do after students, as artists, graduate.

The class teaches students how to professionally deal with galleries, how to put their work out there, how to be professional and prepare them by having students create their resumes and artist statements.

The class helps students prepare for the “art world,” she said.

The class is only offered in the spring semester and is taken after the students have learned their craft and is there to help further their career and really helps give insight to how an artist can make a living or at least helps artists get their work out there the right way, she said.

Students graduating from the fine arts program can expect it to be like working at any program but students must be willing to put in time and dedication and passion, she said.

“I pushed through to finish this degree because art is a passion of mine and it is something I want to do with my life,” Salazar said.

Those who choose to go through the Fine Arts program not only need to be on top of the academic aspect of it but they must have the time and dedication to put into learning the craft whether it be painting or drawing, she said.

Salazar said that a lot of time is spent going into one piece of work and it can be anywhere from four to ten or more hours depending on what the artist is trying to accomplish or make.

It is the practice of making art from various materials, methods, and styles, she said.

Fine art can include but is not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, it can be any other type of handmade artwork that requires skills and technical training to do, she said.

“The arts are important because it is an outlet for creativity and expression. It’s a way to be a part of something bigger,” she said.

Salazar said there are so many different types of art and each one of them are important.

Jobs for those who choose to take the Fine Arts path could look into doing commissions or they could try to get into group and solo exhibitions at various galleries either around town or even nationally, she said.

There are always opportunities for artists to submit their works to an array of different galleries that cater to all styles, she said.

“This exhibition (“Codes”) is the first of shows on many of our art resumes but it only opens the door on much more, and being a part of it encourages each one of us to try to submit other works into different exhibitions,” she said.

Salazar encourages students who want to go the exhibition but have never attended one to expect a professional atmosphere, casual dress is appropriate, and behavior should be the same, she said.

“It’s going to be a fun time though and a great way to talk to all the artists, so if anyone had questions about the program or art they can probably get some answers from us,” she said.

If anyone has questions about the show they can email the program director, Danielle Miller, at drmiller@cnm.edu.

Again, the grand opening reception for the exhibition should be held on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Freestyle Gallery located at 1114 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 but the exhibition will be there for public viewing until April 22.